A Happy Christmas After All
by No Sweeter Song
Summary: Remus and Tonks developed long before that fateful day in the Hospital Wing. This is Christmas 1995 for them, falling in love despite fighting with an underground organization and a recent attack on their friend, Arthur Weasley. Just plain fluff!


Been a while since I've posted anything that could be posted here! Most of my fiction these days is based on my RPGs, many with serious AU elements. But this is very canon indeed! Just a bit of OOTP-era Remus/Tonks fluff. I love writing that time period with them getting together and falling in love and learning to be together. I originally wrote this for the Metamorfic Moon Pink Advent Challenge over on LiveJournal. Hence, it's Christmas fic! My prompt was 'A Christmas Fair'. (Which meant I had to research and find out just what a Christmas fair WAS!) As always, these aren't my characters, they're Jo's.

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"Not a very happy Christmas, is it?" Tonks said drearily, looking in both directions before crossing the road. Despite her careful effort, a taxi cab still went flying past her, and it was likely pure luck and Remus' grip on the back of her t-shirt that prevented her from falling into the pavement. "Thanks," she muttered, glancing up at him with an almost shy smile. That was only the twentieth time or so he'd prevented her from falling. He was really getting quite good at it. Useful to have around, that one. Had to get annoying, though.

Instead of looking annoyed, however, Remus' lips merely twitched in amusement, his hand resting gently on her back. "That's alright," he soothed, though the tone of his voice was somewhat lost with muggles rushing past them with bags of treats and shiny wrapped presents. "You're distracted, that's all."

They all were. From Sirius, the eldest, all the way down to young Ginny Weasley, all of number twelve, Grimmauld Place was a bit out of sorts. With Arthur having only just been attacked, it was a stressful time. As if it wouldn't be anyway, what with a war banging down their door, being fought in secret because each and every one of them would be tossed into Azkaban for publically stating what they all believed to be true. To have Arthur so severely injured, and in a section of the Ministry he obviously shouldn't have been in, was not only dangerous as far as his health, but his career. And the fact that Harry had seen it happen in his sleep only worried them all that much more.

Still, he gave her a small smile once he'd escorted her safely to the other side, now out of view of St. Mungo's. "And why do you say that? Christmas is always a happy time."

"Really?" she questioned, a quizzical look crossing her face.

Remus lifted his eyebrows slightly. "Well, yes. Why? Shouldn't it be?"

"No, no, I mean, yes, well, I've always thought so. You just don't... I don't know, Remus. You never really seemed the sort to me." She leaned into him slightly, the large coat she wore shielding her from his cold hands. He never would learn to wear gloves.

"Shows how well you know me," he chided, slipping his arm snugly around her. The gesture was almost protective, as they were pushed back and forth among the many shoppers making one last effort to pick the perfect gifts. "I love Christmas. Always have. It's the one time of year where everyone seems to just itry/i. It can't be all year long, but it's nice to have it while we do, you know?" Despite the fact that he rarely had much money to give gifts with, and he grew cold easily due to his condition, the Christmas season still filled him with warmth. He loved the feeling of togetherness around, even for someone like him, who typically lived alone and kept to themselves.

They were nearing the park when she paused, and he turned to face her, wondering if she'd gotten caught up in a bit of sidewalk again. But she was looking up at him, her dark brown eyes shining. "No, I don't know you so well," she reminded him, though she gave a slightly saucy tilt of her head and a quirk of her mouth. "But I'm learning. Shall I file this under 'facts about Remus J. Lupin? What does the J stand for, anyway, probably ought to know that, too."

Remus couldn't help but laugh. It was the thing he was growing to love so much about her. She could always make him laugh, no matter his mood. And with the situation with the Ministry heating up, laughter was always appreciated. "John," he told her, allowing himself to hold her for a moment. Why not? He was allowed now, after all. "Mum's idea. Said Remus was an awfully wizardy sort of name and her parents would think she was completely mental as it was. Said I needed a good, sturdy muggle boy's name. So... John it was. I suppose it was either that or Joseph."

His cheeks flushed pink when she reached up, brushing a lock of hair out of his face. The change in colour had nothing at all to do with the cold. "I like it," she said agreeably. "Nice and normal. Not like...some." Her nose wrinkled at that. "Why couldn't I have been... I don't know. Mary. Or Anne."

"You know I think your name's beautiful, will you let it go already?" But he wasn't scolding one bit. Rather, he was smiling, his face lit up from both the early afternoon sunlight and the mischief with teasing her.

"Never."

She turned again, lacing their fingers together as they continued on. "So why do you think it's not going to be a happy Christmas?" he questioned, watching her profile carefully. Sometimes the war got to her in ways it didn't the others. She was the youngest, after all, and new to the fight. A worthy partner to have on their side, of course, but still easily rattled from time to time.

Tonks gnawed on her lower lip for a moment before answering. "Isn't it obvious? I mean, we could all be dead tomorrow. We barely know what he's planning. Arthur's in St. Mungo's with Merlin only knows what poison running through him, I'm sure. Why can't You Know Who have a nice, normal pet. Like a dog or a fluffy bunny rabbit?"

That time, he didn't even try to hide his laughter. "Oh, can you imagine it? What do you suppose he'd name it? Flopsy?"

"Don't be silly, Remus, of course not. It'd be whatever the Indonesian word for bunny rabbit is."

"I don't know about Indonesian, but if he picked Icelandic it'd be Kanina. Much better than Nagini, I'd say."

Tonks looked like she wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry. Instead, she looked at him in stunned amazement. "You speak Icelandic? Icelandish? Whatever?"

Remus just gave her a slight side smile, which might've been a smirk were Remus Lupin really the smirking sort. And he wasn't. Honest. "Not fluently." Before he could explain any further, if he'd planned to at all, his face lit up like a small child's on Christmas morning. "Oh, would you look at that..." he murmured, and then grinned widely.

Looking ahead, she stood on her toes to get a glimpse of what he was seeing over the city shoppers' heads. Curse him for being so bloody tall. "Ooh!" she gasped a moment later, all delight and pleasure. It took every ounce of power she had over her skill not to turn her hair a vibrant bubblegum pink out of happiness just then. "A Christmas Fair!"

They approached, getting closer and closer until the lights and sounds and smells were unmistakable. Cider and chestnuts in the air, carols being sung by local choirs, decorations all about them. In barely a moment, Tonks and Remus were caught up in the laughter of the people celebrating around them.

"Not a happy Christmas?" Remus asked, smiling down at her. When she beamed up at him, his stomach did a little flip-flop. Crazy, how mad for her he already was. But she'd charmed him and won him and now she only had to keep him. Which, as far as he was concerned, wouldn't be an issue at all. "Do you want to go, love? We've the time, Molly won't be back at the house with the children for another few hours."

"Can we?" she pleaded, and she was nearly childlike in her begging. "I haven't gone to one of these since I was a kid! My cousins, Dad's family of course, they used to drag me along and I'd pretend to hate it but oh, it's brilliant, isn't it? Look how lovely the skating rink looks! Can we?"

Nymphadora Tonks. On ice skates? "Perhaps we should simply ride an attraction or two and have some cider," he attempted, but the stubborn look on the Hufflepuff's face told him he was done for. "Fine!" he caved, shaking his head in amusement and disbelief. "If you insist. But I'm not kissing and making better anything you should happen to fall and bump."

She was already taking off, several feet ahead of him. Smirking over her shoulder, she winked. "Oh, you will. Voluntarily, I'll bet. Just not here."

Again, his cheeks flushed red, but he hurried to catch up, his long strides getting him to her side rather quickly. That was definitely not something he was used to. Downright flirting wasn't something he had much experience with. Not that he didn't enjoy it. On the contrary, with her, it made him feel warm and wanted and a bit randy, really. But he was so awkward when it came to women, and especially young, spunky women with flair. It again made him ask himself why on Merlin's green earth she'd choose him over someone younger, with more to offer.

Still, he wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. She was his, at least for that moment. For that glorious, pre-Christmas period where everyone was happy and pleasantly busy, she belonged at his side. Which she proved by sliding an arm snugly around him, leaning her head on his shoulder as they paused and listened to a girls' choir sing O Holy Night.

"They do things so differently, Muggles do," she whispered to him, and he glanced down with a smile. "I mean, everything feels so different out here and yet? I love this. Christmas all around us, you know? No matter who you are. Even if you're someone who doesn't celebrate, I'll bet you still have to get caught up in the spirit."

"The joy of the season," he said, pressing a light kiss to her forehead. She didn't protest, and for that another wave of amazement ran through him. That was sort of the thing about Christmas. Though there were dangers in their lives that neither could truly grasp, it was the happiest time of the year. For a few moments, they could forget that they were seeing each other practically in secret due to her career and his lycanthropy. They could forget that she was thirteen years his junior and that most of society would disapprove of the match. For that brief moment, they could even forget that a dark and furious wizard was out to kill their young friend, and anyone close to him, including them.

For a few, precious hours, they could simply enjoy being together. A Christmas miracle, perhaps, but one neither of them could afford not to believe in that year.


End file.
